The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1887-07-28
SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL
Economy in Farm Homes.

"a Jul WOulu-De economists of the
present day. IL Is futile work for the
good husband without to caulk up the
leaks OF farm expenditure If the house
wife within be prodigal and thriftless,
and ignore progressive economy. II
Is not my intention to impute all fail.
ures f farm life to the good sisters
thereon, for many are frugal house.
wives who struggle vainly against the
theoretical impulses Of the guide
man" with his new tangled notions,
far different from those Of his honest
phlcgmatic father who carried the
rock in one end of his corn sack to
balance the other because
his '5ather and his grandfather
had done il before him." We take il
for granted that our good man is a
farmer of practical purpose and honest
intelligence, aud his good wife help
meet for him. He tells her Just how
much he can afford for the family sup
port. and then trusts the expenditure
to her care without growing over
every item as though all were for her
family support Ihav0 known wives
of good intelligence, portly and merry,
and by several inches taller than their
husband. actually quail when the -four
gave out and trembled to mention the
hideous fact that the sugar barrel was
crpty. Why not? The husband was
not brute as some might infer,
but an honest man of average
intelligence, and like John Gil.
pins wife, owho had fru-
grail mind, inconsistency expects
lean lardcr to furnish forth afull table.
ard yet last far beyond the time Not
content with driving the plow no also
likes 10 dip q finger into the pie of
household economy. This should not
be, any more than that the wife should
Interfere with the farm arrangements
of the husband. How would he relish
her appearance in the barn-yard die
tating to him about the compost heap
of planting and reaping and economy
in farm labor-matters OF which she
probably knows little and which he
prefers to manage according to his
own ideas. We here and there find
woman who. so to speak. wears her
husbands broeches,' but all over the
land. could we but peep at the Inter-
nal machinery of the household, we
sEill find men who Insist on DOMINIC
the bonnet and apron of their wives,
much to the discomfort of the latter
The imaginary husband Of which we
write has no such foible howeveri he
treats his wife with consideration, not
debating to her in her household
affairs as he would to hirling or an
idiot and ia return expects that she
will do her best for the common veal
As al! good wives should, she puts her
shoulder to tho wheel and with
Help Hercules" the wagon is out of
the mud and the result contentment
and happiness. If family of grow
ing children, she realizes the fact that
''idloness is the mother of mischief
and SO looks to the way of her house
hold that all are compelled to assist in
The domestic work. The two eldest
daughters take turns at the cooking,
and after few months become
experts in the culinary art, to
the pleasure of the father who pre-
fers to partake of clearly, whole.
some meal prepared by the white fin
gers of his daughters, to the most
savory repast served by grimy de-
scendant of Ha m. At the same time,
be il borne in mind, that if the chill
dren of the household are expected TO
perform mental duties, their lives
should not be made burden. but all
the modern machinery of convenience
should be gradually purchased as the
savings from the servants fund ac-
cumulates. When afternoon arrives
heavy supper should NOT be expected,
but light meal served instead, which
renders this duty less irksome TO the
dntiful servitors and more wholesome
10 the digestion. Reading. with recre-
alton Of some kind, should always fill
the evening, serving to pleasantly pass
the time, toning up both body and
mind for the next days labor.
Above all there should be method
and system in the farm home. Each
child must be taught that work is
duty expected by God of man, not to
be taken up or thrown down at pleas
IRE, and later in life they will thank
the parents that compelled obedience.
Theie are many other turns in the
lock by the KEY of economy, which
leads to fortune. There is the penny
TO be gained by the sale of the garden
produce, chickens, eggs and butter,
and one family we knew of grew,
cured and used their own tea The
tiny flower of the fragrant olive. the
gardenia or rose put in muslin bags
and scattered after curing, through the
leaves of the fragrant beverage, which
''soothes but does not inebriate.'' is
said to impart rare flavor equal to
the flowers imported. The plant a
beautiful evergreen, is hardy in this
latitude, being killed by neither heat
nor cold.
In conclusion, we do not wish our
readers TO infer from what has been
written above that a woman's sphere
is only in the driving drudery of the
farmhouse wheel. In work of all
kinds, save that which requires superb
or physical strength woman is not
out of place and should not be held in
ferior to man. Wherever the sign
post of duty points, that is the road
called on her to travel Be it high,
let her tread it with willing feet, or be
'tlow. with contentment. for
.sWho sweeps room as for Thy laws
Makes that and the action fine"
Comfort Marshall. in Southern Cul-
tivator.
Rusty Oranges.
rrl.o N mo 40 IN r,nrnii IL. darirnl frnnn